


Fire and Snow

by yusahana6323



Category: the GazettE
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 00:28:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9047900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yusahana6323/pseuds/yusahana6323
Summary: When Kai finds Aoi out on his steps in the freezing cold, he refuses to let his friend stay out, no matter what reason Aoi might try to find for it.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [golden_kimono](https://archiveofourown.org/users/golden_kimono/gifts).



    Kai shivered as he walked briskly, trying to hurry back to his apartment in the freezing temperatures. There was a rare winter storm coming, and considering that the worst of it was still a couple hours out, it was unbelievably cold. He let out a sigh of relief when his apartment complex was in view and half-ran up the stairs, eager to get into his home where he could turn on the warmth, make himself a hot dinner, and take a shower to wash away the bone-chilling weather. Making it to the door, he fumbled through his bag for his keys, trembling fingers dropping the mess of metal a few times until he finally managed to unlock his door and step inside. His breath was misting as he turned the lights on and started the heater.

    The quickest thing to do to get warm would be to turn on the fireplace as well - having two sources of heat would work much faster, after all. He flipped it on and went into the kitchen to get things together for a quick but hearty dinner. He had chopped ingredients and was just getting ready to start cooking when he realised he'd missed his mail. He had been waiting on a couple things and they were time-sensitive. He couldn't talk himself into not running to get those. Groaning, he donned his coat and gloves and shoes again and left the warmth for the freezing cold again. He hurried down the stairs as fast as he could, feeling himself turning into ice with each step. He had descended a few levels and was so busy worrying about how long it would take to get comfortable again that he stumbled over someone sitting on the stairs and almost fell. He managed to catch the handrail and turned to confront the person when he saw how heavily they were shivering and his momentary anger faded.

    "Are you okay?" he asked, his teeth beginning to chatter slightly. "Did you get locked out?"

    The person looked up, and he was shocked to realise it was Aoi who was huddled on the stairs of his building, looking like he was trying to keep warm.

    "Not quite," was the faint response.

    "God, Aoi! What are you doing here?"

    "The heat in my place has gone out and they don't know when it will be back." He was shivering so hard he was stammering almost every single syllable. "I was going to ask if I could stay with you, but didn't want to be a nuisance, so…"

    "You'll freeze! You should have just asked! Hurry upstairs and go in. I'm just getting my mail."

    "It's fine. I'll find somewhere to hole up. I've done it before."

    "Not in weather like this," Kai told him firmly. "Go up. I'll meet you there. You're not any trouble to me at all." When Aoi hesitated, he added, "I'll carry you up."

    A small smile stretched Aoi's pale, chapped lips. "I don't think I'll mind that."

    "Go. I'll meet you up there." Kai pulled Aoi to his feet. "Hurry. You'll freeze."

    "Thank you…"

    "Later."

    Kai made sure Aoi was climbing the stairs before he hurried down to the mailbox, finished his task, and ran back up to find Aoi collapsed on his doorstep. He opened the door and carried his bandmate inside, putting him as close to the fireplace as he could. He hurried to bring coats and blankets to pile on the guitarist, ignoring himself until he had everything he could to help warm Aoi. Aoi was still shivering, but he still looked at Kai with a familiar, but weaker, smile.

    "Thank you," he repeated.

    "Why didn't you knock? I wouldn't have turned you away. You know that."

    Aoi closed his eyes, and Kai relented to let his friend rest. He went into the kitchen and started making miso soup - faster than what he was doing, which Aoi needed - before he went out to stay by the guitarist's side. The lightest shade of pink was tingeing Aoi's cheeks now, Kai could see under the stack of blankets and coats, and he felt relieved.

    "How long were you out there," he murmured, no expecting a reply. "Why didn't you just come ask?"

    He remained where he was, warming from proximity to the fire himself, and checking Aoi to make sure his friend was simply sleeping and not worsening. He only left when he could hear the water boiling and went to finish the soup. He mulled over reasons why Aoi might have chosen to stay in the cold, but he couldn't come up with anything. He knew it wasn't because Aoi really thought he'd be turned down. Being a nuisance, maybe, Aoi did hate to intrude. But not enough to resolve himself to freezing in the cold. It honestly made no sense to Kai at all.

    He approached his friend cautiously while carrying the finished soup, carefully sitting on the hearth and setting the bowl down. Putting the back of his hand against Aoi's forehead, he could now feel a better temperature rising. He gently shook his friend, urging, "Wake up, Aoi. I have soup for you."

    It took a few tries before Aoi's eyes fluttered open and he let out a small moan. Kai helped him sit up, leaning against the wall, and tucking the blankets around him before offering the bowl.

    "Can you hold this steady?" he asked, seeing how Aoi's hands were still white and shaking.

    "I think so…"

    Kai put the soup in Aoi's grasp and quickly put his hands over his friend's when it seemed like it was shaking too much. Aoi smiled apologetically.

    "Thank you."

    "Drink some. You'll feel better."

    "You don't have to baby me like this, you know. All you had to give me was a corner to sleep in."

    "Of course I had to do this." Kai helped Aoi lift the soup, making sure the guitarist sipped a decent amount. "I couldn't leave you sitting out there. I care about you too much."

    "Oh?" Aoi chuckled weakly, his tone trying at teasing. Kai smiled despite himself.

    "You know I do. So why didn't you come knock?"

    Aoi's gaze fell, staring into the steaming soup. The drummer held him steady and waited patiently, knowing that with Aoi, all that was needed was time.

    "I told you," Aoi murmured after awhile of quiet. "I didn't want to be a nuisance."

    "You've never been a nuisance."

    "I feel like I have been, lately. I'm always over here or texting or calling you… never leaving you alone."

    Kai could admit that was true, but he had never minded. He liked Aoi too much to be annoyed by it. So he replied, "I don't consider it to be a bother."

    The dark eyes glanced up at him, then down again.

    "Why do you do it, then? If you feel like it's too much?"

    "I don't know."

    Kai helped Aoi lift the bowl and drink again. This time, Aoi kept drinking, finishing off almost half the bowl. Then he lowered it and tried to set it aside, and the drummer let him. Aoi curled up, pulling the blankets up under his eyes, as if to hide his face.

    "Go ahead and rest. I'm going to finish making dinner. I think you're safe now."

    When the darker man nodded, Kai offered him a smile and went into the kitchen. Now he was pretty sure he knew why Aoi had held back, and it kept the smile on his face while he cooked, quietly making more so that he could feed the man huddled in his front room. He went out every now and then, when Aoi had dozed off, and checked his temperature and breathing. Once he had finished the meal, he didn't wake his friend, but ate while sitting on the sofa and looking out the window at the snow that had begun to fall as the blizzard closed in.

    Aoi woke awhile later, letting out a small groan and shifting his position to stretch. Kai smiled and asked, "Did you sleep well?"

    "Yeah. Thank you." Aoi's mouth curved, and the drummer felt relieved that his friend seemed to be more his normal self. "I'd be a goner if it weren't for you."

    "That's true. You want some food? I have some set aside for you."

    "Sure."

    Kai went to the kitchen to bring dinner, and on returning found Aoi staring out the window at the snow blustering by. The drummer set the plate down and sat by Aoi, waiting until his friend spoke.

    "It looks nice from in here."

    "It's beautiful."

    The guitarist took the plate and began eating slowly, not speaking again until long after he had finished and set everything aside. Then he told Kai, still not looking away from the window, "You're such a nice person."

    "I try really hard."

    "I don't think you need to try. You're that way naturally. It's one of the reasons I…" And he stopped, turning his head slightly. Kai nudged Aoi a bit.

    "Go on and tell me. I won't bite."

    "You don't know what I'm going to say."

    "I do. It wasn't that hard to figure out."

    Now Aoi turned to face him, a bit of fear apparent on his face. Kai told him gently, "I'm not kind to you just because you're my friend, you know."

    Red rose in Aoi's cheeks, and he stammered, not really managing to reply. The drummer wrapped an arm around him and held him close, pushing the darker man's face into his shoulder.

    "It's okay."

    "Thank you," Aoi whispered.

    "Just say it?"

    "… I… I love you…"

    When Aoi did manage to mumble it, barely audibly, voice shaking a bit, a smile Kai hadn't worn in a long time made its way across his face. He never would have thought that stumbling across his bandmate on the stairs in the cold would have led to this. All the same, he was glad for it. He hugged Aoi close, enjoying when the guitarist's arms returned the embrace, and held his surprisingly-shy friend there by the fire, watching the snow quietly. They stayed that way until they fell asleep together, warm and safe and light of any burdens, and when they woke in the morning, the sun was out, bright and reflecting in Aoi's happy expression and setting the tone for the rest of their time together.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas Kim~
> 
> From the keywords "stairs, snow, fire"


End file.
